Tag Archives: technology

When it comes to sporting events, celebrities and social media are the major players driving social engagement before, during, and after the game.

The impact of celebrities on audience engagement at sporting events is real. The impact of social media on audience engagement is just as real. Combined, these two influential forces and sporting events become one dynamite hotspot for brands to connect with fans.

Linking popular marketing campaigns to high-profile sporting events is not a new idea. However, the rise of social media adds a valuable, new element to the marketing mix. When social platforms work hand-in-hand with celebrity marketing campaigns featured at major sporting events, audience engagement will increase.

Brands that are able to generate creative and compelling videos can drive social engagement surrounding sporting events. Using the power of social media, these videos may become viral and generate buzz around the event. Similarly, brands featuring celebrities within their marketing campaigns at sporting events can achieve higher levels of engagement.

Beyond simply creating buzz, well-known sports teams and their social channels have found a way to engage with sports fans during the actual event.

A few professional sports teams have figured out how to draw attention away from personal phone screens and attract fans to the only screen that matters, the jumbotron. The Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Sounders and San Francisco Giants use technology powered by Tagboard that shows their Instagram stories on massive displays inside the stadium. These teams have found the way to grow their social media followings and also keep the focus on the field.

Combining celebrity title with social media, these sports teams engage fans, while still promoting their brand. As teams recognize this potential for branding, they discover ways to monetize content.

In addition, these massive displays take fan engagement another step further by featuring user-generated content. This keeps fans involved in the action on the field, while simultaneously becoming the focus of the screen. Furthermore, Tagboard created a tool that makes it easier to search content across keyboards, phrases, accounts and hashtags.

Tagboard has put a new spin on advertising during sporting events. Brands that want to get a leg up and connect with sports fans must recognize the influence of celebrity marketing and in turn, create captivating video content for social media platforms that will get fans involved.

To promote brands and foster strong relationships with millennials, esports is the go-to industry to reach millennials.

To keep brands relevant in an age of overstimulated millennials glued to their screens, think gaming. While marketers use celebrities and digital influencers to reach consumers, they have overlooked one very important group of influencers: gamers.

With such a strong following, brands should utilize the reach of these gaming influencers as a way to attract more millennials.

Although esports originated in social media, it has pushed past its initial YouTube platform and jumped into major venues like Madison Square Garden and Key Arena, drawing in thousands of viewers and attendees.

As the gaming industry continues to grow in popularity, brands need to recognize the endless opportunities of partnering with gamers.

In pursuit of this fast-rising sport, a few brands have caught on to the gaming phenomenon.

For example, Snickers used the esports social platform creatively to reach their audience. Snickers partnered with three gamers with large social followings to transform its “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” campaign into a live broadcast prank. Gamers began to play horribly because they were hungry, and the hungrier they became, the worse they played. It was not until they ate a Snickers bar that each gamer reverted back to their legendary gaming selves. The prank proved noteworthy as viewers went crazy with live-commenting throughout the prank.

Similarly, Coke was able to tap into the trend and feed fan excitement. Coke encouraged fans to get involved by handing out “cheer boards” for fans to write on during the gaming event. And if fans could not make the big event, Coke had a solution: host viewing parties. For instance, Coke created a nationwide viewing party of the League of Legends World Championship at L.A.’s Staples Center to over 200 movie screens across the United States.

Because esports is a developing platform, marketers must step outside their comfort zone. Risks are necessary, so take that risk by tapping into the powers of gaming influencers. In turn, brands will find success in reaching the much desired millennial consumer.

In the exponentially growing world of technology, products must be easy to grasp before they can be fully trusted, that is where celebrity marketing comes in.

Many companies have adopted artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive cloud technology, allowing them to implement software API’s and frameworks to increase internal efficiency. Unlike the technology used for the consumer products Apple Siri or Amazon Alexa, cognitive computing technology uses data mining, pattern recognition, and natural language processing to mimic the way the human brain works.

Despite negative stigma of these technologies, powerhouse tech brands Dell and IBM are paving the way for a tech friendly mindset for all, and not just business insiders.

How are they doing so? By partnering with celebrities that exude a suave sense of authority.

Other than tech insiders, no one truly understands how applicable these technologies can be. In fact, those who are aware of AI are fearful of what the technology can do. According to a global Pegasystems study, 72% of respondents indicated some level of fear of AI and 25% feared that the technology could eventually take over the planet.

Dell Technologies no longer stands for a desktop computer. The company has expanded to information security, business analytics, virtualization and cloud computing. To help make the brand more palatable for the average consumer, Dell debuted “Let’s Make It Real” starring actor Jeffrey Wright. Following his role on the critically acclaimed sci-fi hit West World, Wright was a great fit to unveil the true magic behind Dell Technologies. Wright’s soothing voice and calm demeanor helped emphasize the message that reality is not all that far from our wildest fantasies.

Ultimately, this technology is being utilized in ways that can really help the day-to-day life. Uber is now pre-packaging machine learning algorithms to service their app developers, making the app as route efficient as possible. Software companies SAP, Deloitte, and IBM have all extended their cognitive clouds to partner with companies to aid in areas such as personal tax services and sales efficiency.

IBM strives to achieve brand appeal among the average consumer with the help of their cognitive pal Watson. When Watson isn’t utilizing its cognitive capabilities to predict weather patterns or compile cancer research, it is helping consumers file their taxes. Prior to the Super Bowl, H&R Block partnered with Jon Hamm, the debonair actor of Mad Men fame, to help show how Watson can make filing taxes personal and simple.

The first set of ads featuring Hamm were intentionally humorous to get consumers to engage quickly with the product and “get their taxes won”. Hamm eventually lent a more serious tone in later spots to shed light on the importance of Watson’s expertise. Kathy Collins, H&R Block’s CMO said that Hamm’s range is what really made him the perfect tax-season spokesperson.

In order for tech brands to be digestible to the “non-techie”, they must relay their complex messages through trustworthy celebrity figures.

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I'm Bob Williams, CEO| Speaker | Author of The Brand Agent

The Brand Agent provides resources on how to build brands through celebrities, music and sports.

Celebrity marketing requires special knowledge and skills. My articles are intended to help save you time, money and frustration.

Over my career, I have led in negotiating thousands of celebrity contracts and helped match small and large brands with the right celebrity. I’m glad to share my celebrity marketing expertise with you.